Every day, people go to work and dedicate their time and talent to performing their duties. Certain jobs are much more dangerous than others, and chances are that at some point, a hardworking individual can experience a work-related accident leading to a workers’ compensation claim. In simple words, accidents and injuries happen and there is no way to completely avoid workers’ compensation claims.
If you happen to be injured in a workplace accident, then you could be entitled to workers’ comp benefits. However, there are still many workers out there who make mistakes when it comes to filing these claims.
To get a better understanding of what you might be entitled to after a workplace accident, your best bet is to contact a workers’ compensation lawyer. For example, if you happen to live and work in South Jersey, look for experienced local workers comp lawyers who can evaluate your potential workers’ comp case and win you the compensation and benefits you deserve.
For more information, below we share some of the most common mistakes that can ruin your workers’ compensation claim. Being mindful of them and having the right knowledge of the appropriate steps in action will ultimately help you get the fair compensation you deserve.
Failing to Report Your Work Injury
You might be the most hardworking employee and an appreciated team member of your company who would never think about manipulating the system. However, at some point, you might hurt yourself on the job but don’t think it is a huge deal. On top of that, you might not want the hassle of reporting your work injury. However, this is completely wrong.
Never ignore your injury and always report it as soon as possible, preferably in writing to the designated person who receives these reports at work. The longer you wait on reporting your injury, the more likely it is that your workers’ compensation insurer will dismiss your claim and deny that it happened at work. So, although you might feel that your injury is minor and you don’t need medical treatment, always report your injury. A large percentage of such injuries slowly get worse over time, so failing to report can result in the insurer denying your benefits.
Failing to Act Immediately
When an accident or injury occurs, a worker might feel disoriented and dazed. This might happen even if they have no visible injuries. At the time of the accident, the most important thing is to stay calm and remember the events leading up to and after the accident as this will be vital to your case.
Try to document everything you can about the accident and make note of anything that was said by you, your colleagues, or emergency services. These details can prove to be critical to your claim later on. Before these details slip from your memory, write them down on a piece of paper. You should also keep a record of all injuries, pain, or symptoms that show up as a result of your accident.
Keep track of your doctor’s visits and if necessary, keep copies of every cost associated with the injury, like loss of wages, travel expenses, or required after-care expenses. All this will save you plenty of time, energy, expense, and headache and will play a crucial part when filing a workers’ comp claim.
Failing to Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions
Let’s say you reported your work injury and started seeing a medical provider who recommended diagnostic tests like MRIs or urged you to attend physical therapy. The pain medications might have eased your pain and you might feel that you don’t need this. This is a big mistake because your injury may not heal if you don’t follow your doctor’s treatment plan. In addition, when going to your check-up, your doctor might indicate that you’re non-compliant with your treatment, which may ruin your workers’ compensation claim.
What’s even worse, your non-compliance might result in your doctor believing you’re not injured and discharging you from treatment. This will force you to return to work and the pain may return. If you then go back to your medical provider, they might refuse to treat you because of your prior non-compliance.
Failing to Get Legal Advice
Many injured workers presume that the workers’ compensation insurer is obligated to take care of them and don’t seek legal advice early in the process. This is a big mistake because insurers are for-profit businesses and they lose money by paying out amounts on claims like yours.
They’ll do everything they legally can to avoid paying your claim. For this reason, seek the advice of a workers’ compensation legal team as soon as you possibly can. They have the right expertise and will make sure to explain what your rights are.
Conclusion
After an on-the-job accident, you might be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. However, there are certain mistakes that can delay the process and ruin the claim of injured workers. By recognizing the most common mistakes mentioned above, you’ll be in a better position to receive fair compensation.
